Money Ranger eyeing a double

That win by Money Ranger in Kuala Lumpur on June 6 was clinical and concise.

It was only his Malaysian debut, and he did everything right.

Granted the winning margin was just a neck, but the Richard Lines-trained gelding won that Open Maiden sprint (1,200m) with loads of authority.

The five-year-old New Zealand-bred jumped cleanly and chose to settle behind the pacesetters.

He stayed like a happy camper. It was only at the 100m mark that he showed his fighting spirit.

Encouraged by jockey Khaw Choon Kit, Money Ranger took the bit and, in the shades of the winning post, he lunged and got the victory.

The son of Rubick will be shooting for two in a row on Aug 9.

In preparation for his second assignment, Lines sent his galloper out for a piece of work on the morning of Aug 3. With the track in good condition, Money Ranger ran the 600m in 37.6sec.

If that workout told us anything, it shouted out loudly that the chestnut galloper is retaining that winning form and he could rule over the upcoming Class 3 race (1,400m) at Sungai Besi.

However, victory will not come on a platter and Money Ranger will have to fight for it.

From trainer Wayne Lim’s stables, Secret Wonder and Flawless could put up a stinging challenge.

They worked together, running the 600m in 43.4sec.

Although the pair did not set the track alight, they did enough to suggest there was enough fire in their bellies to run a hot race.

Like Money Ranger, Secret Wonder will also step into the race as a last-start winner.

That was on June 28, when he beat Dingfeng Speedy in a Class 4A race (1,200m).

The son of Supido also sat off the pace until close home when he worked his magic under Ruzaini Supien to win by a neck.

Secret Wonder was then having his 13th start and that was his third win over the sprints.

Before hitting the Malaysian shores, the five-year-old galloper plied his trade in South Australia, where on March 8, 2025, he picked up a victory over the 1,000m at Murray Bridge.

He can run a big race on Aug 9.

As for stablemate Flawless, his work was indicative of a horse who is running into a rich vein of form.

Ignore his last start in the Class 3 race (1,400m) on July 11. It was disappointing as he finished fifth to Banker’s Empire.

Go on his showing in the Class 4A contest (1,500m) on June 28, when he ran second to Aquitaine. The latter went on to run his rivals ragged in the Selangor Mile (1,600m) on July 26.

There is not much to dislike about Flawless’ chances over the 1,400m on Aug 9.

The Delago Deluxe eight-year-old gelding may be getting older but he still has the instincts and the enthusiasm of a frisky youngster.

Elsewhere on the 11-race programme, you might want to thumb through a pair of “bankers” in the Class 3 sprint (1,020m).

In separate gallops, Triumph Banker’s and Welcome Banker’s worked like horses on a mission.

Triumph Banker’s clocked 36.8sec for his jaunt over the 600m while Welcome Banker’s did a strong canter before clocking 37.9sec for his sprint over the 600m.

A son of Anders, Welcome Banker’s will be having his Malaysian debut, but the four-year-old gelding did win a 1,000m race at Mornington in the Australian state of Victoria on Dec 23, 2025.

The Johnny Lim Boon Thong-trained galloper is the first reserve in the race coming up and, should he get a spot in the starting gates, he could be anything.

Triumph Banker’s – trained by Tiang Kim Choi – scored a fighting win in a Supreme B event (1,020m) on July 26. Based on his workout, he must be taken seriously.

The Territories five-year-old, who finished second to Yes Boss Yes on his Malaysian debut in a Novice race (1,275m) on July 5, is third-up and all set to go.

brian@sph.com.sg